According to data from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the prevalence of anxiety disorders in the U.S. may be as high as 40 million, or about 18 percent of the population over the age of 18, making it the most common mental illness in the nation.1,2

The conventional approach to anxiety and depression treatment typically involves ineffective and brain-altering drugs. Interestingly, two recent studies suggest the psychedelic drug psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms, may have truly profound benefits for cancer patients struggling with anxiety and depression.

Psilocybin, like marijuana, is a Schedule 1 substance under the Controlled Substances Act.4,5 The mushrooms are typically ingested in their fresh or dried form, or can be made into tea. Large doses have been known to induce panic and/or psychosis.

On the other hand, research shows it can also have the opposite effect — providing long-lasting relief from anxiety and depression. Unfortunately, being a Schedule 1 drug, obtaining scientific support for its medicinal use is extremely difficult and costly.

Last year, London-based psychiatrist James Rucker penned a commentary in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), arguing for the reclassification of LSD and magic mushrooms — which he notes are far less addictive and harmful than heroin and cocaine — in order to make it easier to conduct much needed medical research on them.6

Both LSD and magic mushrooms were widely studied in the late 1960s, prior to their classification as Schedule 1 drugs, which by definition have no medicinal use. According to Rucker:

"Hundreds of papers, involving tens of thousands of patients, presented evidence for their use as psychotherapeutic catalysts of mentally beneficial change in many psychiatric disorders, problems of personality development, recidivistic behavior, and existential anxiety."

Clinical Trials Demonstrate Remarkable Benefits of Magic Mushrooms

In a recent Time Magazine article, Dinah Bazer recounts her personal experience with psilocybin.7 A cancer survivor struggling with severe anxiety (driven by her fear of a recurrence), Bazer agreed to participate in a magic mushroom trial conducted at the NYU Langone Medical Center.

While fear gripped her when the drug first brought her "tumbling through space," the experience ended up being a profoundly healing one:

"… I started to feel love. I felt like I was being bathed in love and it was overwhelming, amazing, wonderful … The feeling of immense love lingered for weeks, and four years later I still feel it at times. My fear and anxiety were completely removed, and they haven't come back …

The experience changed how I wanted to live my life. I used to get up, grab a quick snack and eat it in the car. But I no longer want to be in a hurry. Now I get up an hour early, make a real breakfast and read my paper …

I used to imagine what it would be like if the cancer recurred, but I don't think about it the same way anymore. When I don't feel well and thoughts of a recurrence creep into my mind, I lack fear and simply think, 'Let's just see what happens.'"

Psilocybin — An Immediately Acting Anti-Anxiety Drug

In the video above, Estalyn Walcoff describes her experience during the NYU study. Another cancer patient that took part in the NYU trial was Patrick Mettes, a television news director. His magic mushroom trip helped him make peace with and overcome his fear of death, his widow told CNN.8

"He was not afraid of death and, in fact, he seemed to grow through the process of dying. My brother was with us quite a bit during that time and says that he felt that Patrick's spirit grew as his body declined … I believe it helped him, and both of us, live life fully up to the very end."

According to lead author Dr. Stephen Ross, director of substance abuse services and associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone, their investigation revealed that psilocybin "was a rapid, immediately acting anti-anxiety and antidepressant."

Studies Support Controlled, Clinical Use of Psilocybin

The second psilocybin study was done at Johns Hopkins University. Fifty-one patients participated, randomly receiving either a high dose or very low dose of psilocybin. Nausea or vomiting occurred in 15 percent of patients who received the high dose treatment.

No nausea was reported on the low dose, and no serious adverse reactions occurred in either group. As reported by CNN:9

"… [T]he high-dose psilocybin resulted in significant decreases in both clinician-rated and self-reported measures of depressed mood and anxiety among the patients. The effects lasted in 78 percent of patients for depression and 83 percent for anxiety in a follow-up assessment six months later.

'These effects appear to be sustained in our study at least six or seven weeks and very plausibly more than six months,' Roland Griffiths, a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins Medicine and lead author of the study, said … '[I]t's a very exciting opportunity to consider entirely new approaches to therapy.'"

The Importance of Spiritual Connection

Sherry Marcy, diagnosed and treated for cancer in 2010, described herself as "very depressed" when signing up for the Johns Hopkins study. After a single dose of magic mushrooms, "the cloud of doom seemed to just lift. From then on, I was fine," she says. Many others had similar experiences.10,11,12,13,14

Regardless of one's opinion about hallucinogens, it's pretty remarkable to consider that a single dose of a substance can result in several months' worth of relief. Some patients even report being anxiety-free four years later. Other recent research has confirmed that the effects of controlled psilocybin administration indeed appears to be long-lasting in a majority of cases.15 What might account for such dramatic, near-instantaneous and long-lasting transformation from anxiety to inner peace?

According to researchers, the freedom from anxiety and depression appears to be the result of spiritual reconnection. The feeling of love and being "one" with everything results in alterations in the brain itself — a mechanism ascribed to neuroplasticity, where your brain changes in accordance to experience. Indeed, a majority of the participants ranked it among "the most meaningful" experiences of their lives.

Psilocybin also binds to the same receptors as serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in mood and perception. Studies using MRI imaging show psilocybin alters brain activity, allowing for communication between regions of your brain that normally do not connect. This is believed to be part of the breakthroughs people report.

Self-Treating May Be a Bad Idea

Ayahuasca is another drug commonly used for similar, spiritual purposes. As with magic mushrooms, ayahuasca users often have positive mental and emotional breakthroughs, brought on by the overwhelming depth of the spiritual experience. That said, it's important to realize that taking a hallucinogen like magic mushrooms at your own behest could be ill advised.

Not only could it land you in legal trouble, but many of the participants pointed out that their trip COULD have had an adverse effect on their psyche were it not for the careful oversight and guidance they received throughout the experience. As noted by Dr. Stephen Ross, who led the NYU study:16

"If someone goes out and does this themselves, they could have enormous anxiety and paranoia, and can feel much worse. Though I'm sympathetic, I'd strongly recommend people not do that."

'Tripping' Isn't Always Blissful

Kerry Pappas, who participated in the Johns Hopkins study had what amounted to a largely negative experience. It was only the skilled guidance of the attendants that brought her safely through to the end. STAT News recounts her story as follows:

"Very quickly … she was overcome with a feeling of 'total, absolute, undeniable despair in the worst way. It almost makes me cry thinking about it.' The scene in her mind … was of 'massive boulders of very bland, earthy colors. Huge, massive rocks with very muscular men with pickaxes, just chipping away at these boulders.

In my mind's eye, it was, like, 'This is what it really is: This is life. There's nothing to it. It has no meaning.' It went on and on and on' … I cannot tell you I wouldn't have jumped out of a window because of the despair. So it's very important to me that it be done the way it was done' …

The facilitator urged her to lie back down and helped Pappas relax. It wasn't until the final hour of her session that the experience shifted for the better. 'They're chipping away, chipping away. And there's — it was a jewel. A single jewel sparkling amongst all this despair …

And I realized that's what I represent and loud and clear … were the words, 'Right here, right now. Right here, right now.' It was totally audible. It was a voice … And it was like, 'You need to listen to this. Identify with the beautiful stone.' It was joyful … And it has changed my life.'

Since her session, Pappas said her cancer has reappeared twice, in her brain, but she remains mostly unfazed. 'Right here, right now' is integrated in my being. It's not just words. And just my joy to live is new, for me. I hold no delusions that this isn't going to get me in the end, because statistically it will. But I can live with that … Fully. It is amazing.'"

Large-Scale Trials Sorely Needed

Considering the low risk of adverse effects when done in a carefully controlled clinical setting, it seems further research into the use of psilocybin for anxiety and depression would be a no-brainer. Unfortunately, being a Schedule 1 drug, trials cost about 10 times that for other legal drugs, and in order to take the research to the level where it could potentially be turned into a psychiatric treatment, phase 3 clinical trials are needed with thousands of participants.

For that to occur, psilocybin would need to be rescheduled. The potential for psilocybin to do a great deal of good certainly appears to be there. Recent studies have shown it may also help with smoking cessation17 and alcohol addiction.18

According to Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, former president of the American Psychiatric Association, and Dr. Daniel Shalev of the New York State Psychiatric Institute — both of whom endorsed the two studies — noted that these studies provide "a model for revisiting criminalized compounds of interest in a safe, ethical way," and that if research restrictions were to be loosened, "there is much potential for new scientific insights and clinical applications" for psilocybin.19

The Many Health Benefits of Mushrooms

Mushrooms contain some of the most potent natural medicines on the planet, and most are NOT psychoactive. That said, some, like psilocybin, can cause hallucinations, delusions and/or visual disorientation, so if you're picking your own mushrooms, it's critical to know what you're looking for.

Some species of mushroom are outright toxic and can cause death.20 The North American Mycological Association21 offers critical information on a number of toxic mushrooms and the symptoms they cause.

About 100 species of mushrooms are being studied for their health-promoting benefits, which include improved weight loss and nutrition, and increased vitamin D. Approximately half a dozen mushroom varieties really stand out for their ability to deliver a tremendous boost to your immune system.

Cordyceps, also called caterpillar fungus or Tochukasu, is a favorite of athletes because it increases ATP production, strength and endurance.22 It also has anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. You can learn more about the health benefits of edible mushrooms in the Related Articles listed on the right side panel.

EFT — Another Long-Term Solution to Anxiety That Can Produce Rapid Results

Getting back to the issue of anxiety, while magic mushrooms may be out of reach (unless you're accepted for inclusion in a study), there are other treatment options out there that can have profound healing effects without the "high." Energy psychology techniques such as EFT, for example, can help reprogram
your body's reactions to both realand imagined (feared) stressors.

EFT is based on the concept that a vital energy flows through your body along invisible pathways known as meridians, and involves stimulating specific meridian points by gently tapping them with your fingertips while simultaneously using custom-made verbal affirmations. By doing so, you reprogram the way your body responds to emotional stressors.

Recent research has shown that EFT significantly increases positive emotions, such as hope and enjoyment, and decreases negative emotional states, including anxiety.

Following the publication of a 2012 review23,24 in the American Psychological Association's journal Review of General Psychology — which assessed 18 randomized controlled trials showing strong benefits — and a study25 on EFT for war veterans suffering from traumatic stress in 2013, EFT is moving closer to meeting the criteria for an "evidence-based treatment."

EFT Is Particularly Well Suited for the Treatment of Anxiety

EFT is particularly powerful for treating stress and anxiety because it specifically targets your amygdala and hippocampus. These are the parts of your brain that help you decide whether or not something is a threat,26,27 and both are involved in anxiety disorders. EFT has also been scientifically shown to lower cortisol levels,28 which are elevated when you're stressed or anxious.

In the video above, EFT therapist Julie Schiffman demonstrates how to tap for panic attacks and anxiety relief. Please keep in mind that while anyone can learn to do EFT at home, self-treatment for serious issues like persistent anxiety is not recommended. For serious or complex issues, you need someone to guide you through the process. That said, the more you tap, the more skilled you'll become.

Just recognize that if you have a serious anxiety issue and don't receive any benefit from self-therapy, that it doesn't mean that EFT is useless. It means you need to seek an expert professional consultation that can customize the approach for your specific setting.

It takes many years of training to develop the skills to become an effective therapist, so if one doesn't work, please keep looking. EFT is without a doubt the most effective clinical strategy I have ever used for anxiety, and certainly better than any pharmaceutical drug option.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.

If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.

If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.